domestique

Domestique is a term of French origin with multiple related meanings in English and French. As an adjective in French, domestique means relating to the home or household, or private life. As a noun, it primarily refers to a domestic worker or servant. The word derives from Latin domesticus through Old French.

In English, domestique is most widely encountered in professional cycling. It designates a rider whose primary role is to support the team's leader rather than pursue individual victory. Domestiques perform tasks such as pacing the pace in the peloton, shielding the leader from wind, delivering supplies, and helping to chase down breakaways. The term has become a standard part of cycling vocabulary and is used to describe the function rather than a specific person’s title.

In contemporary French usage, domestique retains several related senses. As a noun, un domestique or une domestique denotes a household staff member working in a private home. As an adjective, domestiques describes things related to the home, such as tâches domestiques (household chores), animaux domestiques (domestic animals), or appareil domestique (household appliance) in more general references. The gendered forms reflect French grammar: un domestique (male) and une domestique (female).

Culturally, the term reflects historical social structures surrounding domestic service in French-speaking regions. In sport, the word has been adopted into international lexicon primarily through cycling, where it conveys a clearly defined team-based role that does not befall the leader.

In summary, domestique spans household-related meanings in everyday French and denotes a support role in professional cycling, illustrating how a single word can cross domains with distinct but related uses.